Hard Knocks Ratings Way Down

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Is this a harbinger of the NFL’s popularity decline?

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/08/13/ratings-way-down-for-hard-knocks/

The first episode of this year’s NFL training camp reality show drew just 273,000 viewers, according to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal. That’s a huge decline from the 705,000 who watched the first episode last year, and may be the smallest audience ever for any episode of Hard Knocks.

 

[FCB02062]

My guess is folks want more football, less social justice virtue signaling, less China plague hysteria, in their NFL and sports programming

 

[borisman]

Yeah, I can't even watch the NBA anymore. I'll watch the C's but only on the home network and NEVER before tip-off. It's too much and too hypocritical by the NBA with their China ties/ownership.
Back to football. I think fans will also tune out if players kneel during the anthem before every game and the networks will make sure to cover it and MAKE you watch it. There's other ways of protesting and getting the message across. Don't make people resent the players. You can see what it's doing to the NBA.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

This is why I think the NFL will do whatever it can to make sure there is football... because if they don't have a season, people will start realizing that they don't actually need football and can live without it

They will do everything they can to make sure that doesn't happen

There has been so little activity in the NFL this season that I've barely been keeping up like in past years.. even in Fantasy Football, everyone in my family always knew me as the one with all the information and research on everyone... this year i think ive done like 2 mock drafts and thats it

People are going to learn to fill their time with other things, and that might also make them less tolerable to all of the TMZ,Reality TV, 24/7 news cycle NFL ******** that we've had shoved down our throats for the last decade or more

 

[Family]

You only have to look at posting on this board.

With the world different, people are indifferent to this season. Who knows if the season will even get off the ground?

Less football news. Less job competition. Less access. No games. The fun of late summer just isn't there this year.

 

[masterbouncer]

I want to watch NFL games, I don't care at all if they kneel or ran around naked before the game.
Is it still the "land of the free"? then let them do, let them raise their voices or do whatever they want before the game starts, but after they start the game I don't want to hear anything about Covid-19, Trump, BLM or any other daily stuff that is present all the time every ****ing day

please just keep it football, thanks!

 

[wizwor]

This is why I think the NFL will do whatever it can to make sure there is football... because if they don't have a season, people will start realizing that they don't actually need football and can live without it

That's what happened to me. One summer, I spent a lot of weekends at my sister's camp. I missed pre-season altogether and was usually driving home Sunday afternoon. By the time our camp weekends wound down, I kept forgetting to tune in. Last year I caught one game. I only saw it because my BIL wanted me to see his new projector. We had beers and shot the breeze while the game was on.

 

[catent]

Yeah, I can't even watch the NBA anymore. I'll watch the C's but only on the home network and NEVER before tip-off. It's too much and too hypocritical by the NBA with their China ties/ownership.
Back to football. I think fans will also tune out if players kneel during the anthem before every game and the networks will make sure to cover it and MAKE you watch it. There's other ways of protesting and getting the message across. Don't make people resent the players. You can see what it's doing to the NBA.

This post is basically the reason that players kneel.

Kaepernick: *takes a knee*

NFL fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

George Floyd: *murdered by a literal knee to the neck*

NFL and NBA players: "so that Floyd thing was really terrible, this stuff keeps happening, this is why we kneeled in the first place. so, we're gonna continue to kneel"

NFL and NBA fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

 

[jah]

I didn't even know Hard Knocks was happening this year.

I think people may also just be sick of that particular show. All Or Nothing has recently filled the same niche in a much more effective way.

 

[Triumph]

The product is weak.

If Brady and the Bucs were on or Czm and the Pats more viewers would be interested in my opinion.

Nevertheless, if the NFL continues down this SJW path they will destroy their own golden goose. People tune in to the NFL for football and not politics.

 

[Steve102]

This is why I think the NFL will do whatever it can to make sure there is football... because if they don't have a season, people will start realizing that they don't actually need football and can live without it

This.

We talked about it in the other thread. Folks are beginning to realize there's more to do.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I didn't even know Hard Knocks was happening this year.

I think people may also just be sick of that particular show. All Or Nothing has recently filled the same niche in a much more effective way.

Two good points you made that should be emphasized:

1. Really ****ty advertising by HBO; I also had no idea it had started. You'd think with people starved for sports or even actual new television content (filming is on hiatus almost everywhere), they would have gotten out the message better.

2. All of Nothing is so much better than Hard Knocks. Wonder if this has eaten into the market share.

 

[Pape]

two teams that no one cares about, in a city that doesn't care if it has one football team, let alone two... put them on tv and you are surprised that no one watches?

whats the hook? whats the draw? Outside of Aaron Donald, can the average person name anyone other than Jared Golf on the two teams? And Tyrod Taylor penciled in as the starter for the Chargers?

The Rams and the Chargers are devoid of personalities... serve up a sandwich and you they are surprised no one wants to eat it? lol ... gotta love Herr Goodells modern anything for a nickle NFL

 

[Nehalem]

You only have to look at posting on this board.

With the world different, people are indifferent to this season. Who knows if the season will even get off the ground?

Less football news. Less job competition. Less access. No games. The fun of late summer just isn't there this year.

This is the correct answer. It has nothing to do with SJWs

It is all COVID-19.

Normally at this point we would have
(1) Lots of media access to training camp
(2) Actual pre-season games
(3) Certainty that the season would actually happen

Without those things its a major downer in terms of interest.

As pointed out even this forum is almost dead when it comes to actual Patriots talk. Because there isn't anything to talk about.

Why would people even think to turn into Hard Knocks?

 

[signbabybrady]

Brady back on the Pats and ratings go up across the board.

 

[borisman]

The post is basically the reason that players kneel.

Kaepernick: *takes a knee*

NFL fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

George Floyd: *murdered by a literal knee to the neck*

NFL and NBA players: "so that Floyd thing was really terrible, this stuff keeps happening, this is why we kneeled in the first place. so, we're gonna continue to kneel"

NFL and NBA fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

Go look at the body cam of the Floyd arrest that wasn't released to the public until a week or so ago. Check his autopsy results. He had so much fentanyl in his system that he could have OD'd in a short time. Check the symptoms of the drug, seriously...he was saying I can't breathe when the cops tried to put him in the back seat. Check out the pitcher for the Angels that died from fentanyl and the guy being prosecuted for selling it to him.
I'm not excusing what the cop did but with all the details coming out there is no way the cop will get convicted for 2nd degree murder. All these riots could have been avoided if the prosecutor didn't block the release of the body cam footage. This was all premeditated by politics. Get a clue.
And no, most of these young athletes have had a good ride since middle of high school or whenever recruiting starts. I don't want to hear how bad they have it. I know there's social injustice in the country but it's also in other countries yet no one opposes them (China) because Lebum has a $1B deal with them and Nike. So F*ck off with that shet. You can kneel all you want. It's a choice but don't cry over the consequences..not directed at you but at the "protesters" in general.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

I had no idea it started until a day or two ago. I'll watch when I have free time.

I've always said "it's just sports". I don't love any sport or player. I just really enjoy different aspects of different sports.
That said I'm really curious how people would cope with nothing long term? They've been with us forever, through the different seasons. I even miss the crowds going nuts. Snowballs in Foxboro. It's not life or death or that important but man it was the ultimate numb after work, life ....

Also @Ian has been gracious enough to let you muppets talk about politics in another forum. Even if it's temporary, who knows, football is back.

Can we keep that **** in the pofo area with respect? Or even go to another forum where there's more than 10 people recycling the same trash talking points?

 

[Steve102]

Also @Ian has been gracious enough to let you muppets talk about politics in another forum. Even if it's temporary, who knows, football is back.

Can we keep that **** in the pofo area with respect? Or even go to another forum where there's more than 10 people recycling the same trash talking points?

A-fekkin-men with that. Cheezus.

 

[IllegalContact]

The post is basically the reason that players kneel.

Kaepernick: *takes a knee*

NFL fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

George Floyd: *murdered by a literal knee to the neck*

NFL and NBA players: "so that Floyd thing was really terrible, this stuff keeps happening, this is why we kneeled in the first place. so, we're gonna continue to kneel"

NFL and NBA fans: "hey what the f*ck, why are you kneeling? there are other ways to protest. you don't have it so bad anyway"

NBA fans are saying that?

 

[Triumph]

I have never watched Hardc0cks.

I am truly only interested in regular season games. Too many preseason games a Patriots WR [ fill in a name] has a tremendous run and can do no wrong in camp, only to 5hit the bed in real games.